The Assessment & Collection Department of the South corporation attached the bank accounts and properties of several defaulters over the past two weeks. Commissioner Puneet Goel said the department had given the defaulters every opportunity available under rules to clear the dues. The bank accounts and properties were attached as a last resort, he added.

On top of the list of defaulters is Raddison Blu Hotel in Dwarka with outstanding dues of Rs 440 crore. The department has attached all four bank accounts of the hotel. “Since sufficient balance was not available in these accounts, the property of the hotel has also been attached,” the commissioner said.

Officials in the Assessment & Collection Department said if the amount was not recovered soon, the process of auctioning the hotel to recover the dues would be initiated.

“Under Section 119 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, the properties of the Union, that is Central and state government departments are exempt from paying property tax, but in view of a decision of the Supreme Court, such properties are liable to pay service charge @75 <mailto:charge@75> per cent,” said Ram Mohan Singh, Assessor & Collector.

He said in many cases, it was seen that organisations or bodies — which were not government departments but were associated with the government as autonomous bodies and statutory corporations, etc. — were not paying property tax. He added that properties of such organisations which were “not purely departments under the government are liable to pay property tax”.

The South corporation said many such organisations were not paying property tax. “The Assessment & Collection Department has identified them and notices are being served for filing property tax return and paying correct tax,” said Singh.